How Book Banning Works

Stuff You Need to Know:

Juvenile literature is -- perhaps unsurprisingly -- the most commonly banned genre. Since 2000, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series has received more banning requests than any other literary collection.

Book bans happen on a library-by-library basis, with a majority of book ban requests submitted to school libraries, rather than public libraries.

The U.S. Constitution doesn't protect obscene literature from censure, but in order to foster free speech, the Supreme Court maintains a heavy burden of proof for obscenity cases.